Brooke is fresh out of uni and just found a new job as a pharmacist at a nearby community pharmacy.

She's just taken out a $10,000 loan to buy a new car.

This is on top of her student loan of which she has just $1,000 left to pay, from last year's four month backpacking tour of Europe. This, of course, is in addition to her substantial HECS debt.

It's too far away to say how Brooke's life and career will pan out, but Brooke's immediate goals are to reduce her debt, start saving so she can eventually buy her own pharmacy and keep having fun with her friends.

To find out how the Guild Group can help Brooke at this stage in her career, click through the questions in the navigation bar on the left, or click next.

As a pharmacy student professional indemnity insurance cover is provided to you free of charge from Guild – the provision of this cover demonstrates how fundamental we feel it is that all pharmacists are sufficiently covered in the event of a claim being made against them for an alleged breach of their professional duty.

As Brooke begins her new job as a pharmacist she'll also want to take out PDL Pharmacists Professional Liability Cover cover to keep herself professionally protected from liability. As a healthcare professional Brooke has a duty of care that makes her liable for any incorrect advice that she gives.

The combined liabilities cover provided under the PDL cover helps to protect you against claims throughout your career. It is essential that you maintain good quality insurance cover in your career as a pharmacist, to protect yourself, your assets and your reputation.

Make sure that you report all incidents that could lead to a claim as soon as possible, take reasonable steps to reduce loss, and renew your Professional Liability Cover every year and you're well on your way to managing risks and staying protected in your workplace.

Talk to Guild Insurance to find out more about Pharmacists Professional Liability Cover, call on 1800 810 213

Stuff happens. You just don't want it to happen to your new car. Murphy's law dictates that's exactly why something will.

Having insurance won't stop accidents from occurring but it will certainly ease the pain if things do go wrong. Find the right insurance option for you with a company that will provide the service you need. You want competitive rates and the peace of mind of knowing you're with an insurance provider who won't let you down with service.

To find out more about insuring your car talk to Guild Insurance on 1800 810 213 or click the button below to contact us.

Brooke wasn't worried about her student loan while she was enjoying the beaches of Barcelona but now that she's home she wishes she could stop making loan repayments and start investing in her future.

Managing your debt is essential to your future financial security. Don't let interest rates and payments on depreciating assets or lifestyle purchases, like a car, set you ‘behind the eight ball' at this early stage in your life.

Brooke would most likely be best to repay the remaining $1,000 on her student loan ASAP, then commit to a savings and repayment plan on her car loan. By being aggressive in paying off the debts from her loans first she gets the interest monkey off her back and sets herself up for savings in the long run. She should set a plan that she will follow, which allows for some fun spending while still remaining focused on her end goal of debt reduction.

Understand where your money is coming and going and help to set a plan for your future, click here to access the ASIC website's budget planner.

As for her HECS debt, it will be paid off automatically along with her tax and for 2008-2009 she won't have to make any compulsory repayments unless she earns more than $41,595. If she does the amount of repayment works on a sliding scale with her income.

To find out more about how much you have to pay for HECS click here.

Retirement may seem like a long way off but choosing the right super fund and investment options now, are as important as ever. The longer the time you have money invested in super the more time you give it to grow so additional contributions into your super now will be more effective than they will be in 20 years.

When choosing an investment profile you may be best suited to a high-growth profile. Such a profile would involve higher levels of risk but enables possible higher long-term returns.

When looking for the right super fund for you, these are some of the questions you need to ask:

• Does the super fund provide a range of competitive investment portfolios to suit a variety of needs?
• Does the super fund provide default investment portfolios based on age to maximise investment earnings over time?
• Is automatic life insurance and disability insurance provided?
• Can I purchase additional cover if I need it?
• Does the super fund provide personal service from a superannuation consultant?
• Does the super fund provide easy online access to my account?
• Does the super fund return profits to my industry?
• Does the super fund keep things hassle-free and provide service when I need it?
• Does the super fund charge competitive fees?

We believe our GuildSuper fund is competitive with any other but we encourage you to do your research to satisfy yourself on this matter.

Call 1300 361 477 to talk to one of our GuildSuper Consultants.

If you've worked at a few different jobs early in your career, chances are that you've got multiple super funds. The downside of this is that account-keeping fees will apply for each one and could be eroding your investment. If you're a GuildSuper member you can roll all your Super funds into one account by filling out one simple form. You can download it here.

Individuals who make personal contributions and do not claim a tax deduction may be entitled to a co-contribution from the Government if they satisfy certain criteria.

Depending on your income, you could receive as much as $1.50 from the Government for every $1.00 you contribute. The maximum amount you can receive is $1,000 for an eligible income of $31,920 or less and gradually phases to zero when your income reaches $61,920. If you are eligible, the co-contribution is paid automatically by the ATO to your account based on your tax return and information received from the Fund.

Call 1300 361 477 to talk to one of our Financial Services Consultants about your eligibility for co-contributions or click on the button below to contact us.

Take an interest in the management and business responsibilities of your pharmacy.

Below are some of the business management skills that you may find useful when you make the move. Check the boxes below, if you think they apply to you.

I enjoy providing leadership to others in a
work setting

I think I have good ideas about how to
attract customers for the pharmacy

Dealing with staff and customers is
something I enjoy

I have a good head for financial figures and
I don't mind administration tasks.

For any boxes you didn't check, these are skills you can begin to develop. Keeping in mind that when the time comes you can seek advice from people with specialist skills in the relevant areas.

Get to know other pharmacists, learn about the industry and the issues that are facing it, and support the Pharmacy Guild of Australia. The Pharmacy Guild are working to protect your future as a pharmacist.

The Pharmacy Guild and the Guild Group are two separate entities working toward the same goal of providing a strong support base for pharmacists.

We care for you and your pharmacy, while you care for the community.

Read the next professional life stage section on this site to get an idea of the things you'll need to think about in the future.

Read the advice boxes on this site. The quotes come from real pharmacists who've been there and done it.

Also remember that fostering relationships within the industry is a great way to learn and may lead to opportunities further down the road.